The Vote Is Sacred Bus Tour

PAUL BRANDEIS RAUSHENBUSH, HOST:

I had the chance to be with three of the leaders of the Tri-Faith initiative. We just got off of the stage for the kickoff for The Vote Is Sacred, and I'm with them right now. Please introduce yourselves, and then we're just going to have a little conversation.

KARIM KHAYATI, GUEST:

Karim Khayati, I'm the president of the American Muslim Institute, the Muslim partner on the Tri-Faith Initiative.

RABBI DEANNA SUSSMAN, GUEST:

I'm Rabbi Deanna Sussman, and I'm one of the rabbis at Temple Israel, the Jewish partner of the Tri-Faith Initiative.

REV. SARAH JONES, GUEST:

Sarah Jones. I am the minister of congregational care at Countryside Community Church, the Christian partner on the Tri-Faith Initiative.

PAUL RAUSHENBUSH:

If you all don't know, the Tri-Faith Initiative is really one of the most powerful and very singular efforts at bringing communities together in real relationship. And so this was a real inspired place to have our kickoff.

Maybe I can start with you, Rabbi. What does it mean to be, one, part of the Tri-Faith Initiative, but then also, how that translates into this moment of how The Vote Is Sacred?

DEANNA SUSSMAN:

Being part of the Tri-Faith Initiative is, honestly, one of the most beautiful gifts of my life. It is an opportunity to be in sacred partnership with people of different beliefs, different religious diversity, bringing all of those people together in conversation in an authentic relationship, so that we can really do the holy work of understanding each other - not with the intention of agreeing, but in understanding ourselves and each other even better as a result of our relationships together.

And I think that that, in a nutshell, is what makes voting such a sacred act of responsibility, because the greatest act we can give to each other is the mitzvah, the commandment to love your neighbor as yourself. And that is what it means to vote. It is to make sure that every voice is heard. Every vote is cast, every vote is counted, and making sure that we are acting with intention, and that we're manifesting our religious values in the voting box, because we have the opportunity to showcase what it means to love your neighbor as yourself.

We can love our neighbor as ourselves by fulfilling our religious values: by caring for the poor, the orphan, the stranger, the widow; by freeing the oppressed, by repairing the world, by ensuring that all who are hungry have a place and enough to eat, by caring for the sick. We can make sure that we are manifesting democracy by doing that act of love for each other, because that is what democracy looks like.

PAUL RAUSHENBUSH:

Beautiful. Karim, what about you?

KARIM KHAYATI:

First, as a Muslim partner, we understand this is the most privilege, and especially that happens in America. And we understand that with this privilege, there is there's a fundamental obligation on how to get the next generation of Muslim and other minorities to enjoy this privilege of pluralism, of being heard. Of having, perhaps, a different perspective or a complementary perspective, and being an equal partner on the table. And the Tri-Faith gave us all that opportunity. And I think today, as an organization, as leadership, we understand that we have that crucial obligation to engage in that civic responsibility vis-a-vis the country and the state that we're part of.

So we take this very seriously, and I think it's my personal perspective - and I think I can speak for the rest of the leadership - that the work we do today, from relationship-building to the programming side, to determining how this country continues is crucial for the next generation and the generation to come, on so many levels. Economic, social justice matters. Environmental issues. So this is key for us. And that's how we think about our responsibilities toward a major issue like participating in the democracy of the United States.

PAUL RAUSHENBUSH:

One of the great things that, the - I still think of him as Reverend, but he's now Senator Raphael Warnock - talked about, voting is also about the next generation. You know, this is about now, but it's also about, what's the future? Pastor Sarah, maybe you can say a few words from your perspective.

SARAH JONES:

Sure. As the Christian partner on the Tri-Faith campus, we have to be always very careful not to be paternalistic, but also to be somewhat protective of our siblings who are in these neighboring faith communities - because we know that we have privilege as Christians, but we also know that that privilege can be stripped away, because the way that we practice our Christian faith is not aligned with Christian nationalism.

We are very welcoming, inclusive, affirming of LGBTQIA rights. And we also are here because we want to be in relationship with our Muslim and Jewish neighbors - not in any way, sense, or form to convert them, but to be learning from them; and having them teach us how to grow in our own faith.

So it's crucial for us to protect all of the freedoms that we have. And in this moment in time, voting is essential to that, because we are at a fork in the road, and depending on the outcome of this election, our faith practices could look really different depending on who is our president.

PAUL RAUSHENBUSH:

This is so helpful. And, you know, I'm from an interfaith background in my own family. And so I like to say I have an interfaith heart. And I feel like my heart is very welcome at the Tri-Faith Initiative. Thank you all so much for all you did. And thank you so much for being a part of this Vote Is Sacred Tour, we really appreciate it.

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REV. BREANNA ILLÉNÉ, GUEST:i

I'm Reverend Breanna Illéné, and I am the director of ecumenical innovation and justice initiatives at the Wisconsin Council of Churches.

PAUL RAUSHENBUSH:

And let me just say that Breanna has been amazing to work with, and such a major part of our trip here. And so thank you, thank you, thank you, to start. Why don't you tell our listeners a little bit about what has been pressing for the Council of Churches right now, especially in light of this election, and this moment in our democracy?

BREANNA ILLÉNÉ

I think a lot of folks are just asking, how do you be a Christian in our current context? And how do you talk about faith and democracy, faith and politics? So many people are hesitant to talk about that. We are told politics and religion don't mix. Don't talk about it. But the reality is, is your faith should impact your life. Politics impact your life. And so they do mix and they need to mix. And we need to help people navigate that.

So, at the Council, we've been developing resources to help people do that in their congregations. We launched a campaign called Loving Your Neighbor in an Election Season, which included worship resources, preaching resources, prayers, all kinds of stuff that help equip congregations to do the work in this season.

And some of that is our spiritual resources. So we handed out prayer cards that had a prayer for when times get tough and when the news is depressing. One of our leaders wrote a prayer. We ordered a thousand, originally. We've handed out over three thousand, now, because people are hungry for this. They are scared, they are worried. How do we do this? And so we have found that to be really helpful, to help people root and ground.

And then we've also been really involved in our democracy and how the minutiae, the bureaucracy, the, Okay, you cast your ballot, and then ballots are counted, and then certification. Like, what is that whole process, and helping people understand that? And we've actually been pretty deeply involved in building relationships and infrastructure, so that my work really begins next Wednesday. We've got poll chaplains who will be on the ground on Election Day, but we also are prepared to keep working to make sure that every vote is counted, that all people get a voice in this process, and that we follow a process that has been set out.

PAUL RAUSHENBUSH:

This is so important. And you know what it's called? Like, sowing trust. There's a lot of people sowing distrust, but you're sowing trust in our election. And also, recognizing that relationships matter in moments of potential crisis. And so developing those relationships early, rather than like, does anybody have the number for… You know, when it's all going down, you're not going to find it then. And so I think this is just incredibly important - and great work, also, for the population.

We're civically starved, in a way, and we think, Oh, it's like some sort of weird alchemy. But it's not that strange. Once you break it down, you say, Okay. And it's just so important to do that work. Do you have a sense of how Wisconsin is prepared for November 6^th, through the 20^th, even, of January? You know, those are those are some key weeks there.

BREANNA ILLÉNÉ:

Yeah, there's a whole infrastructure. I've said I've never sat in so many rooms with lawyers or been in contact with so many lawyers in my life, and they are people who are just invested in making sure our democracy functions; building those relationships - whether it be with attorneys, whether it be with city clerks, whether it be with poll workers, whether it be with clergy and people of faith and community members and nonprofits to say, We have a process. We have a process that works. We have a process that has worked for years and years and years. It hasn't always been perfect. We are moving onward towards perfection, I like to say as a Methodist, but we have a process. So how do we help it function better? And in this season when there have been attacks on our process, how do we keep the checks and balances working, maintain the system, keep the system in a way that makes sure that every vote is counted? Make sure that we all get a voice?

PAUL RAUSHENBUSH:

This is it really, really important work. It's also so important that whether or not you were invited or whether or not you presented yourself, that religion is a part of that, religious communities, because we have a way, we have networks, we have ways of getting out truth. We have ways of rallying people, mobilizing people. But then also bringing people in. I mean, it's so important that democracy workers recognize the role that religion can and must play in the preservation of our democracy. And I just think that it's so great, what you're doing, and so important.

I want to switch, slightly, topics because I know that part of what you do at the Wisconsin Council of Churches, and also you have a passion for it as a pastor, is recognizing that right now, there are two groups that are the “scary” groups that that are being targeted, and one of them is immigrants, and one of them is trans people. And, and I know that you've done significant work with trans people. How do you, in your relationships with trans people, how is the community feeling right now in Wisconsin?

BREANNA ILLÉNÉ:

Under attack. I mean, they are not in a great place. One of my friends is an elected official who's the first openly trans woman elected to the city council in her city, and has just been posting on Facebook about how disparaging this is. And I heard an ad for the first time this morning - partially because I just haven't been listening - but I happened to have the radio on for the first time and it said, “This is about us, not they/them…” Just, attack, attack, attack.

PAUL RAUSHENBUSH:

And the contradiction in that phrase.

BREANNA ILLÉNÉ:

It was awful. and so one of the things we've been talking about, at the Council, is, how do we, as the Church, show up? And so we've actually done this in our legislative work. I have been in this role about a year, and so we've been doing a lot of experimenting, recognizing, especially in a state like Wisconsin, things are divided, i.e., bills are put up, and one side will vote for them, and one side will vote against them, and then the governor will veto or approve - because it's all based on political party and kind of a lot of these games.

And so we've said, whether we show up or not, the path is already written of how legislation will happen in this state. But people are still showing up, and people still need to hear that the Church cares. And so, this past year in Wisconsin, there was a bunch of anti-trans laws because this election season is not the first attack on transgender people. And so, we said, we know what's going to happen. One side will vote for these bills, one side will vote against, the governor has said he will veto them. Legislatively, trans people are safe in Wisconsin.

In reality, this rhetoric is super harmful and violent, and the Church needs to stand up and say this isn't okay. And so we organized clergy and youth directors and youth and all kinds of people to show up at the Capitol to speak out and say, Stop using our faith - because Christian language was often used in promotion of these laws – and that we, as people of faith, are saying, have been saying: This is not okay, this is violent.

And so the first session, there was a whole slew of activists, teachers, social workers… And 40 clergy showed up to say, This is not okay. And many people, including myself, testified, for the first time, and spoke against these bills. And I was told later that the one side who was against the bill said: We expected the teachers and the social workers and the psychologists; we didn't expect the Church. How did you get the Church to show up?

And then the other side, who was for these bills, said: What happened? We thought the Church was on our side. And they got really nervous. But what was also important was for us to say: We as the Church, are people who sometimes people assume we are against LGBTQ people. And how do we say: No, the Church is much more diverse than that. There is a side of the Church that promotes inclusion and love, and has trans clergy and has queer clergy, and we are all part of this and stop using our faith to bludgeon people.

PAUL RAUSHENBUSH:

Oh my God, you are speaking my language completely. I just love that. And that's a huge part of what we believe, as well. Too often, religion is used as the bludgeon rather than the bridge it can be. And so this is great work. And, you know, it's heightened right now because of the political season. And in some ways, trans people have become a pawn in this terrible game. But you know, it's going to go on. And so it's not over November 5th. And I'm just so glad that you all are doing what you're doing. And thank you again for welcoming us to Wisconsin. It's been such a pleasure to be with you for sure.

BREANNA ILLÉNÉ:

For sure. Glad you're here.

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REV. PAUL BRANDEIS RAUSHENBUSH, HOST:

I am at First United Methodist Church of Madison, and we are just after we had our big press conference. And I'm here with Rhonda, who is doing amazing work getting out the vote across Wisconsin. Rhonda, say a little bit about, who you are and what you all are doing in Wisconsin.

RHONDA LINDNER, GUEST:

I am Rhonda Lindner and I am the statewide interfaith organizer for the Wisconsin Interfaith Voter Engagement Campaign, which is pretty self-explanatory. It is a campaign that organizes events and actions of voter engagement, voter education, and voter protection through the lens of congregational organization and clergy leadership. So we organize through all denominations, people of all faiths, even people of no faith; and we also partner with many statewide organizers in the Voting Rights Coalition, including the League of Women Voters, All Voting Is Local, The Wisconsin Democracy Campaign, as well as local get-out-the-vote organizations.

PAUL RAUSHENBUSH:

I love that last bit about how you are collaborating with all these other organizations; no one's doing this alone. It's all about, who do we partner with? How do we find the way to amplify our collective power, and get out the vote?

You also have another hat. Talk to me about that.

RHONDA LINDNER:

Sure. So I also am the educator for an organization called Tikkun Ha-Ir, which is Hebrew for “repair the city.” We are a Jewish social justice organization that is based in Milwaukee. Milwaukee is a beautiful city. My family and I moved to Milwaukee in 2020. It is a beautiful city - if you had the economic means to enjoy it. Milwaukee is also the most segregated city in the United States, and it's a very small city. So we can see what needs to be repaired.

So Tikkun Ha-Ir works in the fields of food justice, we have a tremendous program that serves vegetarian meals from July through October. We also work with housing justice, and environmental justice, and of course, racial justice. And Tikkun Ha-Ir knows that all of these lanes come together through civic engagement, through voter engagement. So it's a partnership of WIVEC and Tikkun Ha-Ir.

PAUL RAUSHENBUSH:

And how did you get so passionate about this? Where's the fire come from? Because it's clear you're doing amazing work. And that work is tiring and it takes a lot out of you. But you have so much energy and you've been such an important part of our visit here. So where do you feel like your fire comes from?

RHONDA LINDNER:

So, before I came into this work - I've only been doing this since January of 2022 - I worked 27 years as a public school English teacher - so I taught middle school English for almost 27 years. So that's a job that requires endless energy. And I would say that, when people describe me, they often describe me as non-stop energy. And in this job, certainly, I feel like I've become an emotional adrenaline junkie.

I came to this work because in teaching, I found that the work I did with my little philanthropy club called Builders’ Club, meaning building a better community, was creating a lot more passion and fire in me then the teaching of English. And as I was saying to some of your coworkers today, in a profession like teaching, you should always maybe leave the profession two years too early instead of two years too late. And I admit that when I left, I felt like I shouldn't be leaving, but clearly it was something I needed to do.

I came to this work really in a personal way, to honor my in-laws, who we lost tragically many years ago, and to live out the vision of the person they really wanted me to be. And I do that work to honor them.

PAUL RAUSHENBUSH:

Wow. Very moving.

What is your hope for Wisconsin? I mean, Wisconsin is your home now. And it's one of those states where it's so divided and so very close. How do you understand this moment in Wisconsin's history?

RHONDA LINDNER:

So I get asked this question a lot in various ways, and I answer it by saying I'm so lucky to work in the field of nonpartisan engagement. And that means that we listen to people, what they care about, what they're concerned about, what they're frustrated about; and what challenges them, what moves them, what inspires them. And in these conversations, we are just looking to engage people to vote. And we do not have a specific position on how a person should vote. I know your audience knows that nonpartisan means we do not endorse candidates or parties. And I think that has really helped me to move throughout this season by just listening to people and by sharing my belief that no matter how people vote, that our country is founded on democracy.

And with it, in addition to getting out the vote, is also a group that protects the vote. We have poll chaplains surveying all over Wisconsin. We have almost 70 poll chaplains who will be there on Election Day to be a pastoral, peaceful, positive presence. They've been trained to recognize situations that may be dangerous, and they've also been trained to know when to step in for any sort of de-escalation.

People ask, what are you going to do November 6th, and are you going to sleep in? And I said, absolutely not. I will be out there making sure that every vote is counted. When I go into high schools and universities, I ask the students to register to vote. I say, I promise: you vote, and I'll make sure your vote is counted. And at the end of the day, if every Wisconsin voter who wants to vote and who should vote votes, and if every vote is counted, democracy and the will of the people will stand. And I believe that there are tremendous people who are willing to do whatever it takes to make democracy work for all of us.

PAUL RAUSHENBUSH:

Rhonda Lindner, thank you so much for being on The State of Belief, and all the work you're doing here in Wisconsin.

RHONDA LINDNER:

Oh, thanks for having me, and thanks for coming to Wisconsin

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PAUL BRANDEIS RAUSHENBUSH, HOST:

Bishop Monnet, welcome to The State of Belief. We're here in Iowa, and we just got through with the press conference. How are you feeling? And how do you understand your role as a bishop in this moment in our democracy?

BETSEY MONNOT: Thank you. This is an exciting day. How I'm feeling right now after this press conference is excited. There were some wonderful speakers. I think this is a moment where we need to come together; it's all to me about connection and network. And this is one of the themes that I have been talking about in my own diocese, among my churches and among my people, that we need to learn how to be more deeply connected to each other and to God and to our neighbors.

PAUL RAUSHENBUSH: Yeah. One of the things you spoke about so beautifully in the press conference was really going into your faith and saying, like, this is about loving God, but part of loving God is also loving neighbor. Those two commandments very closely aligned, and and how do you understand those commandments and how that can inspire a democracy that works for everyone?

BETSEY MONNOT: So one of the vows that we take in the Episcopal Church when we are baptized, part of our baptismal covenant, is to respect the dignity and worth of every human being, and to strive for justice and peace among all people. And both of those are just foundational to what it is to love neighbor. My neighbor may be different from me. They may believe different things or want different things or hope for different things. But I am still called – commanded, really - to treat them with dignity and respect, and to love them and to to treat them the way I would want to be treated.

But there's a corollary to that, which is to not treat them in a way that I would not want to be treated. So it works both ways. So if I don't want somebody to take away my rights, I must not take away rights from another person.

PAUL RAUSHENBUSH: So amazing. We had on on the show a couple of women who were involved in the Black Episcopal Union, and they were telling the story about how, within the Episcopal Church, you really took on book banning and said, this is a constriction of the beloved community. And it's just an example of how a religious community can really, with authenticity, interact with an important political moment.

BETSEY MONNOT: So just a quick little story: the youth of our diocese, the children and youth, last year at their summer camp, they made two little free libraries. And one of those is on the grounds of my diocesan office, which just happens to be across the street from a public elementary school; and so they have stocked it with banned books at the elementary school age. So books that would be appropriate for children of that age and families with children of that age, but that are currently banned. So it's just one tiny little example of something that the Episcopal Church in Iowa is doing against banned books.

PAUL RAUSHENBUSH: I think that that is a great story. And something that everybody on this show has heard me say this, but it’s about this curtailing of the imagination and the erasing of stories that banning of books does. It's an anathema to religious freedom and the idea that we have the right to pursue the spiritual world that we live in and be curious. Thank you for that story.

It feels like there's a lot of those going on in Iowa right now. And, even even the election itself, it's so fraught. How are you kind of talking about the role of the Episcopal Church in approaching this moment, this bigger moment in our democracy that is really causing a lot of anxiety for a lot of us?

BETSEY MONNOT: So one of the one of the roles for me is to encourage people to vote, because that's the basic foundation of our democracy. And when we are treating one another with love, we have to vote. That's part of what we are called to do.

So another thing is that the Episcopal Church, and, I think, many churches, if not all churches, can become places that people of differing ideas and differing viewpoints can come together and can have open and honest conversation with respect - because we're here for one purpose. We are here to love God and to love neighbor. And so we should be able to learn how to talk through those different issues and through those different perspectives, so that we can all come to a deeper understanding of one another and a deeper connectedness, as well.

PAUL RAUSHENBUSH: I think that's so important. And there's so few places remaining. It seems like we're so separated, and all these civic spaces are being kind of hollowed out. So it's so important, to step into that role.

How do you imagine talking to your people on November 6th? I mean, my guess is November 6th we won't have a clear winner, necessarily. But there's going to be a lot of anxiety and a lot of potential disruption. Are you thinking about what your approach will be?

BETSEY MONNOT: Well, of course, the most important thing is remain calm and waiting. And any kind of political violence is always just absolutely not anything that… It's just not. It’s just not.

One of the things that I've been saying to folks is breathe, breathe deeply. And when we get those moments of anxiety, breathe. And when you breathe in, feel the love of God. Because God loves us, God loves you. And while that might feel like an inadequate response to a political event or political anxiety, in fact it's the most important thing there is. And from that space, grounded in God's love, then we can take whatever the next step is - whether that's reaching out to our neighbors or cooking a meal for somebody who's hungry or just coming together with the people that we love and being together.

PAUL RAUSHENBUSH: I actually think it's so important that you emphasize that kind of spiritual moment. I mean, if we think about Rep. John Lewis, again, who is the inspiration for “The vote is sacred” phrase, in his work to gain the right to vote, they were deeply spiritually-minded about how to take the next step. And so I really appreciate that. Bishop, thank you so much for being with us here today on The State of Belief.

BETSEY MONNOT: It's a delight to be with you. Thank you for having me.

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PAUL BRANDEIS RAUSHENBUSH, HOST:

I wanted to start with a story. I preached at a church, Countryside Church. It's part of the Tri-faith Initiative, and had a really excellent time. Really gracious congregation. And as I do, I stood at the back and met people and met people and met people; and then this really lovely woman comes up to me and says, Oh, hey, I used to work at the church, I'm a member. And, this is my brother, and he's running for office.

And I was like, okay, every city needs a dogcatcher. That's great. Like, everybody should run for office. And then she says, his name is Dan. And I'm like, Dan. What's your last name? And it was Dan Osborn.

And I just want to say, Dan, welcome to The State of Belief! It's really great to be able to talk to you. I know you're very busy right now, so I'm not going to take up too much of your time. But I want to start by just noting that I've never really even heard of a politician who goes to a house of worship and doesn't kind of make themselves a center of the show; and you just coming up afterwards and us having a talk, I just thought it was really indicative of the way you want to show up in politics. So thank you for that. And also, just, welcome. And tell me a little bit about your background and where you're from, and how you got to this point.

DAN OSBORN, GUEST:

Yeah. I'll try to keep it fairly brief. I suppose it started when I joined the Navy right out of high school. I come from a long line of Navy people. My grandfather, he retired from the Navy. My parents, they met while they were in the Navy. My uncles were all in the Navy - and then my older brother, he joined the Marine Corps. So we don't talk to him anymore.

I did two Western Pacific cruises aboard the USS Constellation aircraft carrier. So I got to see the world as a young man. I feel like traveling can be a great educator. It certainly was for me. And the military instills a discipline in you, you know, from the time that first metal trash can comes barreling down to the berthing area, at three in the morning on your first day of boot camp, and you question what the heck you just signed up for.

But I came back to Omaha, where I'm from. I started attending University of Nebraska at Omaha. I then joined the Nebraska Army National Guard to continue my service. I always felt compelled to serve. I was a 19 kilo on m1A1 Abrams tank crew during that time, and I did those, both of those, for about three and a half years. And my life changed when my wife Megan had my first daughter, Georgia, who's now a classically trained professional dancer in Hollywood. So, proud dad moment there.

But I knew when she was born I had to go get a job. You know, it's easy taking care of yourself. So I got a job working at Kellogg’s as an industrial mechanic. One of the first days on the job, an old Polish guy by the name of Ron Jabowski came up to me. He looked like Tom Selleck from Magnum PI, and he said, Hey, kid, have you joined the union yet? And I said, No, sir, I've not. He's like, Well, you might want to think about going and doing that. I'm like, well all right, Tom Selleck's telling me to join the union. I better go do that. So I signed up. I paid my dues. I kept my head down for a lot of years just providing for my family. Kellogg's was a very family-friendly-oriented company at one time.

W.K. Kellogg, the founder, always said his number one asset and resources is people. But over the years, the board became more beholden to the stockholders, and we started to lose on some contracts. Old guys like Ron started to retire, so I decided to run for executive board of my Local. I got elected as vice president. About three months later, the president stepped down. It was a complete changing of the guard, because you get yelled at a lot in that role by both your members and management alike. But I knew the role was important, so I took it.

I did that for about a year, and then Covid hit. This is really where the origin in politics… I’ve never really been a political person, paid much attention. I was always working too much. But sometimes they say, you don't pay attention to politics, but politics is certainly paying attention to you. And that certainly holds true.

But, during Covid, we were working seven days a week, 12 hours a day as we were deemed “essential workers.” At one point in time, 50% of our workforce around the country was force quarantined and/or sick. But we kept we kept all four US plants running at 100% capacity, and they made record profits. They went from 19 billion to $21 billion. The CEO gave himself a $2 million raise. The board enriched themselves, the stockholders enriched themselves.

And then our contract expired. We figured it'd be a no-brainer. We'd get a little sliver of the pie; but instead they sat across the negotiating table from us and they said, we're going to take your health insurance, your cost of living wage adjustment - which keeps us even with inflation. And then, we're going to implement a two-tier wage system with no path for the lower tier to go to the upper tier.

So for me, as president, that was an oh-crap moment for me. I had to figure out what it meant. There hadn't been a strike in Nebraska since 1972, so I had to learn how to picket. Why to picket. Where… Figuring out everything that goes into it.

So when October 5th midnight rolled around, we couldn't come to an agreement. So we shut down four US plants and we walked off the job. Certainly one of the hardest things I've ever had to do. Take 500 of my friends and their families out into the great unknown, not knowing if we're going to have a job at the end of it. But we all felt we were on the right side of history, and we knew Democrats were going to come out and support on the picket line, politically. It's traditionally what they do is support organized labor.

But that's not the way I see my world. I've been a registered independent from the time I could vote, and I don't see men or women or Black or White or Republican or Democrat on a picket line. I just saw people that wanted to go to work for a fair wage and decent benefits for the time that they trade in service of the company, so I set out to make it a nonpartisan issue.

I was able to get a Republican congressman, US Congressman John Bacon out to the picket line, to shake hands with my members in favor of what we were doing. I saw Governor Pete Ricketts, now US Senator Pete Ricketts, at an event I was at. I cornered him, and I told him who I was and what was going on in his state. He agreed to meet me at the Capitol. So I drove out to Lincoln a couple days later and met with him and his team, and then he ended up drafting a letter to CEO Steve Cahillane imploring him to get our people back to work.

But we settled on a contract after 77 days, just before Christmas, and I remember walking back to my plant with my members, just feeling a huge sense of pride in what we were able to accomplish. 500 jobs in Nebraska and 1500 around the country. And that's why I'm doing this today. I want to continue to be a voice for working class people across our state, and certainly the country, because I don't think there's anybody like me in the United States Senate.

It's a country club of millionaires that work for billionaires. They all have a corporate agenda. I'm going to have a worker agenda. Robin Williams, the late comedian, said it best when he said, our politicians should be wearing NASCAR jacket patches with their sponsors, so we know how they're going to vote.

PAUL RAUSHENBUSH:

I never heard that that. That's great. I just think your story, you know, obviously it's really, really compelling. And it's resonating in Nebraska.

I’m curious - you were in church that day - how religion, in your mind, fits in with democracy, and some of the ways that personally, but also in the way it has implications for policy. What are some of the ways you think about that, as you represent working class people?

DAN OSBORN:

So my background on religion probably isn't unique. I was born and raised Catholic. I went to Catholic schools. when I got into the Navy, I stopped going to church. And then certainly, when I got out of the Navy and came back and was working at Kellogg's, the last year I worked at Kellogg's, I did 33 double Sunday shifts. Sundays was a double time day.

You know, I've always felt something. But as far as, in the organized part of religion, just really I didn't have time to fit that into my life, working 70 hours a week. But recently, I went to a Catholic church, the week before I went to Countryside; and being at Countryside, I was blown away. I was like, this is where I'm supposed to be. Because it's the message, and your message, really resonated with me. And just like you were talking about, you know, it is a community, and it's a community full of people that have numbers, and numbers equate to votes and can sway elections. So yeah, it is important. And again, even if you don't like politics, politics is going to like you.

PAUL RAUSHENBUSH:

Yeah, yeah. And I, that day, one of the things we were really talking about is that there's no one religious group that gets to be the religious group. There's lots of religious groups in Nebraska. And it's very interesting to hear how they are viewing things. And I really appreciate how open you are, and really in a state of really trying to figure out how to represent the people. I think it's really great.

And I got a chance, we had a rally yesterday in Omaha before we took off, and I'm in Des Moines now. But, you know, people just really appreciate your forthright way and I just think that you're a breath of fresh air. I really appreciate you. And I'm really glad to have met you. And I know this is incredibly hard time, so I do hope you have people supporting you all around you. And there's just a lot of folks who are thinking you represent something that politics could be, and that there is a history of people going to Washington to represent working people. And we're not right there now, but maybe you'll bring back that. So, I'm just really glad to talk to you.

DAN OSBORN:

Yeah, less than 2% of our elected officials in the House and Senate came from the working class, if that gives you an idea. So, yeah, I hope this is the beginning of something bigger, because if Nebraska elects an independent mechanic to the halls of power, it's going to tell people all over the country - nurses, teachers, bus drivers, carpenters, plumbers - that they can do it too; that you don't have to be a self-funding crypto billionaire to run for office and represent their people the way they should be represented.

PAUL RAUSHENBUSH:

I have been talking to Dan Osborn, independent candidate for the US Senate in this great state of Nebraska. Really a pleasure to meet you. And thank you so much for taking a few minutes today to talk with The State of Belief.

DAN OSBORN:

Sure. Thank you. Appreciate you.

...

REV. PAUL BRANDEIS RAUSHENBUSH, HOST:

Okay, I am here on the bus, and I am with Senator - but also Reverend - Sarah Trone Garriott, who is an ELCA pastor, so a Lutheran pastor, but also a state senator. Welcome to the State of Belief!

REV. SARAH TRONE GARRIOTT, GUEST: Thank you so much, Paul.

PAUL RAUSHENBUSH: So we just spent a little time together in front of the Capitol talking about religion, democracy and voting. How does it feel to have one foot in both of those places? The Capitol is like one of your homes, but you also have pastored churches. And so how do you understand this kind of wonderful balance between two really important ways that democracy functions in America?

SARAH TRONE GARRIOTT: So I see religious life as how we live together. And government, ideally, is the same thing. And they both can help us to live together better, provided that the folks are being faithful to that calling to care for their neighbors.

PAUL RAUSHENBUSH: Yeah. So one of the things that is just present is, who gets to speak for religion, who gets to speak as an American, who has the bully pulpit? And the bully pulpit can be actually a pulpit in a church, but it can also be in politics. And so you must have seen a lot in your time in both of those locations. What's the reality right now, as you see it, in Iowa?

SARAH TRONE GARRIOTT: So I think there's a lot of opportunity everywhere. Iowa has been called a red state, but my district, the people are pretty independent-minded. No matter what political affiliation they have, they want to vote for folks who are going to work hard, who show up, who care, who listen. And so we have a lot of ticket-splitters here in Iowa. A lot of people are guided by their faith, but we have a pretty diverse community. So folks are all over the place, whether their faith is religious or not, whether it's Christian or a variety of other religious faiths. There's a lot of folks who, they care about their neighbors. They want their community to be safe and welcoming and have opportunity. Those are pretty universal values.

PAUL RAUSHENBUSH: Right. It's so important. And talk about this moment in time. You know, one of the emphases, “The vote is sacred.” So that also kind of sits in both of your areas. And it just seems like right now, we're really trying to emphasize that every vote, every voice matters - because every person matters. And so how do you understand that great saying, which also came from someone who straddled both areas – Rep. John Lewis was also a very religious man. I think he was an ordained minister. What are the ways that “The vote is sacred” speaks to you as an idea?

SARAH TRONE GARRIOTT: Well, as a state legislator, I know every vote truly does matter. I won my first race by 164 votes. So some really important decisions are made by the people of our community, and it can be coming down to a handful of votes. So I try to remind people that really, truly, their voice matters in the process of state government when it comes to voting. And it's important that we make educated choices about who is going to lead us in all of these different roles. Every single elected office matters. Every decision that's on the ballot is important to our community.

PAUL RAUSHENBUSH: Right. I mean, I think that sometimes it's a disconnect, like, “Oh, what they're doing over there”; but actually what they're doing over there has everything to do with how we live our lives. I was talking to a candidate in Nebraska who said that great phrase, “You may not care about politics, but politics is caring about you.” Meaning everybody is affected by politics, whether or not they're engaging it or not.

What do you draw upon to keep you hopeful, to keep you ready to do the work in all the locations of your life?

SARAH TRONE GARRIOTT: So what really helps me to keep going is when I'm out in the community talking to folks face-to-face, I am renewed in my hope for people. I see tremendous folks in my community who are kind, who are caring, who want the best for their neighbors. And I'm reminded that we are not as different and far apart as sometimes we see in the media. And most people want a government that works for them, and they're willing to put in the work to make it happen. They just need to know how. And so when I show up, I'm encouraged by what I see in my community, but I'm also able to help people become involved.

And that reminds me that it really matters. Putting in the time, going door-to -door, running for office, serving in the way that I do. It's hard, but it's important to do it for the people that I serve.

PAUL RAUSHENBUSH: Well, Reverend and Senator, thank you so much for being with us today on State of Belief, and best of luck in all of your work.

SARAH TRONE GARRIOTT: Thank you so much, Paul.

...
REV. PAUL BRANDEIS RAUSHENBUSH, HOST:

I am here with the one and only Connie Ryan, executive director of the Interfaith Alliance of Iowa. We are just coming off an amazing press conference and rally at the Capitol in Des Moines. Let me just start with gratitude. Thank you so much, Connie, for organizing this. Initial thoughts of how it felt to be in front of the Capitol with our big Vote Is Sacred bus and a bunch of amazing people speaking?

CONNIE RYAN: It was fantastic. And thank you so much for including Iowa, including Des Moines, including our Capitol, in your tour. We are so honored to be part of this. And I have to say that when we were standing, waiting for the bus to arrive and it came up Grand Avenue and turned the corner to where we were standing, people were so excited to see the bus arrive. We had a great crowd and great speakers. And thank you so much for letting us be part of this.

PAUL RAUSHENBUSH: I love that image. It was very magnificent. And, you know, we were on the bus, and to see everybody who was waiting there, it was amazing. So talk to me a little bit about this moment in the election in Iowa, and religion and democracy. How are you feeling about it? How do you articulate what's at stake?

CONNIE RYAN: You know, in Iowa, Christian nationalism has been a huge part of our life, a huge part of our politics for so long, whether we called it Christian nationalism or not, but particularly the last few years. And so this election, seven days out from today, is so critically important in making sure that people use their right to vote. People use their responsibility to vote. And it is a sacred right. And I'm so grateful for the bus tour to highlight this, that voting really does matter. In Iowa, rights are on the line.

PAUL RAUSHENBUSH: You all have amendments right there, there things on the ballot? Not just candidates, but also things that are going to affect people's lives.

CONNIE RYAN: We do have a couple of constitutional amendments, but we also have legislation that has happened and court rulings that have happened that have really dismantled reproductive rights, access to abortion. We essentially are a state without reproductive rights and access to abortion, now, at a six week ban. LGBTQ rights have been attacked day in and day out in our legislature. Our public schools have been attacked and underfunded. Teachers; diversity, equity, inclusion - all of the pieces - banning books, all the things that you're seeing across the country are here in Iowa. And we have been fighting this battle.

And so we need folks to understand that, although it may not be written on the ballot, that reproductive rights are on it. Reproductive rights are on the ballot and LGBTQ rights are on the ballot and public schools are on the ballot. All of the racial justice issues are on the ballot. And so, it is just a call for folks to use their power - the magical power - of voting, and to take that opportunity to stand up for themselves and to stand up for their neighbors.

PAUL RAUSHENBUSH: You've been at this for a long time and you've seen Iowa… You know, we used to look at Iowa and say, oh my God. They have the highest literacy rate in the country. There was a lot of things that, growing up in Wisconsin, that Iowa had some bragging rights. But it seems like if you're underfunding public schools, if you're kind of deciding the future of public schools, maybe even a voucher system, all that - there's just so much at stake. And I just am so glad that you're in this.

The last thing is just, how are you imagining, not just up to the election, but what happens after the election? And are you hearing any worries about disruption or anything like that? And how are you imagining Interfaith Alliance of Iowa, participating in, really, the peaceful transfer of power?

CONNIE RYAN: I'm not hearing anything specific in Iowa about disruption. We haven't had that history as a state. Doesn't mean that it couldn't happen. But I am not hearing that. After the election, I think it is a matter of us all coming together to continue to do the work. We spend an enormous amount of time at our state legislature lobbying and bringing people up to talk with legislators and empowering people to use their voices. And so just amplifying that, taking that to a new level, is going to be critically important for Iowans and for their rights. And so we, along with all of our partner organizations, will be on board to do whatever it takes.

I am gravely concerned about the peaceful transfer of power at the federal, national level, regardless of the outcome of the presidential election. I have grave concerns over that and the Christian nationalist organizations Proud Boys, etc. that have said that they expect to use violence and intimidation. And so I think that people of faith and all beliefs must say that we won't stand by that, and that we will stand up for our democracy, and that we will work together to make sure our democracy is strong.

PAUL RAUSHENBUSH: Connie Ryan is the executive director of Interfaith Alliance of Iowa. We are actually talking on our cool bus and it is awesome. And I just want to thank you so much for all you do, and thank you for being with us here again on the State of Belief.

CONNIE RYAN: Thank you, Paul, I truly appreciate you coming to Iowa, and good luck on the rest of your bus tour.